Phone
253-888-1126
Email
kinsmed@yahoo.com
Town where you live
Lakewood, WA.
Experience (300 characters max)
Over half of Lakewood has never been represented. My history is notable for a lifetime of service. I've always had one foot in the future watching for problems that need solving. As Chair of the City of Lakewood's Public Safety Advisory Committee, I began handing out masks two years before COVID-19.
Our City has given up our annual 9/11 Memorial observance and made no attempt to celebrate the first Juneteenth. We are a McDonald's city only offering the top 12 menu items, like so many other similar cities.
The City has a good plan in place to rotate Councilmembers through all of the Neighborhood Associations. I will take this a step further by holding ‘Office Hours’. I will allow on weekday mornings residents in my community to schedule appointments.
As I am retired, I can devote ALL of my time to my community. I have no conflicts of interest with any businesses.
I inquired about water quality the year after high levels of lead was found in Flint, Michigan’s water supply. When I asked about our water, I was told “don’t worry about it”. Our Water Department recently closed several wells in the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
I also distributed face masks to our community in view of the Air Quality Index being affected by regional wildfires. It had been my belief that cities should stock face masks, three years before COVID-19.
I have an unbeatable record of public service- locally, nationally, and worldwide. From Boy Scouts to Marine Corps, and a deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom while in the National Guard, service is my core principle.
Locally, I was two-term Chair of the City of Lakewood's Public Safety Advisory Committee. Neighborhood Association President. President of Harrison Preparatory School's Parent/Teacher Organization. Pierce College Alum where I was on President's List and Phi Theta Kappa. Certified Veteran Service Officer. Board officer of the Lakewood First Lions Club. Lifetime member of both the Marine Corps League and VFW.
And for the last two years I have hosted and published "LakewoodLyre.com", the only exclusively Lakewood news website.
As the eldest son of a single mother, I can recall the short stay we spent at a single mother’s home. My mom cried. She tells me we spent a night in our Studebaker, though I thankfully have no recollection of that.
I have participated more than once in the Point-In-Time Count, an on-the-streets count and outreach to area homelessness.
My city has failed to address the unhoused problem in any way. They have shamefully made being homeless a criminal offense.
Scandinavian countries have significantly curbed the issue of the unhoused. Organizations have reached out to our city with mixed results.
I would love for our city to solve homelessness and, as I say, stop lagging and start leading.
Our city completely lacks vision. There is nothing that distinguishes us from any other American city. I often ask “Where is our giant ball of twine? Where is our Coachella? Our City of Lights? Theme Park? Diversity Day? Cultural Re-enactment? Theater District? Chalk Art? Arts Festival? Wine Tasting? Bike Race? Our Science Fiction convention?...”
Stop waiting for others to innovate and follow them. There needs to be something that the world says “Oh, yes. That happens in Lakewood.
We should go there.....
Too many cities are given over to huge expanses of asphalt. We need to accelerate the ‘greening’ of our downtown community, providing bike paths, design family-friendly spaces, offer multipurpose facilities.
Only recently has our city begun to place public art. There are existing funds for the purpose of softening the impact of our asphalt and concrete expanses.
We are overdue to provide our community a space of peace and love.
Phone
425-440-9884
Email
alice@electsmilinalicefong.com
Town where you live
Lakewood
Experience (300 characters max)
I am a unique leader who serves all. I have created trust and outcomes in my career and community service for 29 years. My “can do” attitude, ability to problem solve, and experience in PK-12, higher ed, hospitals, businesses, nonprofits, municipalities (local, county, and state), and communities.
I am genuine, thoughtful, and approachable. I’m known as someone who can engage with everyone and leave a positive impression while remaining true to myself. Since my first role back in the 90’s, I go where the people are to connect and build trust with those I serve and work with. This has been accomplished within organizations, cities, counties, and the whole state of Washington.
As an elected official, I will work with those who voted for me and also those who did not. I believe we can agree to disagree and as leaders, we work together to find the best solutions for our constituents. These are the skill I can contribute to our Lakewood community.
When able, I will attend current meetings throughout Lakewood residential neighborhoods and business corridors. I’ll work with all stakeholders to determine where the opportunities are to help build new coalitions and ways for everyone in Lakewood to be heard.
I believe City leadership has a unique role to work with local agencies and nonprofit organizations to improve and resolve environmental issues and design/create opportunities for interested residents to have a role in dealing with our local environmental issues.
Addressing our City’s environmental issues can be creatively done by involving interested parties and experts to assess the situations and be part of the solution! What does the data show and what does the people living around the area say? The City has a unique opportunity to help facilitate that.
I’m pragmatic. For the past four years, I have been working with an environmental group that is interested to work with different perspectives to pass policies and work with leaders to educate the community on the issues and provide opportunities to be part of the solution. I will bring that same leadership and drive to steward our environmental issues, justly.
I have been actively volunteering for over 32 years. High school: joined service clubs that held drives to donate items to families in need. Participated in United way of Pierce County’s Day of Caring, painted a home for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an adult, I served on the King County’s Developmental Disabilities Board.
College: student senator and led clubs. Volunteered at the hospital and medical clinics.
Adult: Pierce County American Red Cross, taught CPR and first aid. Spoke at the Diabetes Expo and helped coordinate the South Sound Diabetes Walk for 3 years with the American Diabetes Association. Educated the public with heart healthy practices at the Hope Heart Institute. Taught English as a second language. Led at church as a deacon and in other ministries.
Now I Chair the Lakewood Promise Advisory Board for youth, Chair Pierce County Commission on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs, and past Co-chair for WA State’s Public Health Advisory Board.
Homelessness is complex, there are many causes that need to be addressed. As a creative strategist, where colleagues coin me as the “Go-to” problem solver, I believe Lakewood stakeholders and people experiencing or have experienced homelessness need to work together to develop solutions. We convene experts, leaders, residents, and service providers to come together for dialogue and create solutions and/or action steps that addresses tangible solutions.
My campaign team represents the political spectrum. Nonpartisan, with people from the far left, far right, and everyone else in between. This approach is important because our city has a very diverse perspectives and we will need leaders who can lead and bring people together.
Now I now lead an organization that cultivates leaders to do just that! Cities and towns have a responsibility to help neighbors connect and prevent othering and breathes humanity back our culture.
I envision a symbiotic relationship between City leaders, staff, residents, and business owners coming together to ensure that Lakewood is resourced properly and can provide the necessary care to its residents in all aspects of social, environmental, and economical justice. Where residents can agree to disagree and live in an area, they are proud to call home!
Where people have a sense of connection and when someone has a bad day, others are able to help them process the situations.
As someone who utilizes a proven and trusted method that successfully built community throughout my life and career, I know first-hand how to make that happen. I have worked at nonprofits like Jubilee REACH and the United Way of King County to do just that with city stakeholders like businesses, faith communities, government, and nonprofits to work together and advance the common good. I was able to help strengthen coalitions, cultures, and programs that work towards the vision I see.
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Phone
2533047474
Email
info@electellentalbo.com
Town where you live
Lakewood
Experience (300 characters max)
I am a licensed urban planner with 19 years of experience specializing in transportation planning in both the private and public sectors. I currently work for the City of Renton as a Transportation Planning Manager. I also currently serve as the Vice-Chair on the Lakewood Planning Commission.
Public hearings, online surveys and open houses with poster boards aren't a bad thing, but communicating and engaging with the community and its neighborhoods calls for direct presence and interaction from its elected leaders with their neighborhoods. I believe that good leadership means just that, showing up in person and meeting you where you're at: at your community meetings, at your cultural celebrations and in your neighborhoods to listen to you directly. I fully believe and embrace direct and sincere community engagement that invites collaboration from community or non-profit organizations, faith-based and cultural groups, advocacy groups, and residents from all walks of life to work toward people-centered solutions and implementable yet impactful outcomes.
The City of Lakewood is uniquely home to over a few hundred acres of combined open space, fish-bearing creeks, and native habitat including the Garry Oak species. I believe that Lakewood should be responsible about development so as not to infringe and threaten the most vulnerable habitats, fish & wildlife. To that end I want to see urban growth occur in already urbanized areas while sustaining community character and serving neighborhoods. I am supportive of Lakewood Water District and Lakeview Water & Power's efforts to sustain clean water quality and I would support holding non-point source polluters accountable for local mitigation at all levels associated to their level of impact on the local environment.
This is my first race. However, I've been serving on the Lakewood Planning Commission since 2023. I volunteer regularly with professional organizations and have served as a professional mentor through the American Planning Association and Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) in various chapters in Washington and California since 2012. During my years living and working in San Jose, I was appointed to serve as a volunteer citizen in 2019 on the City of San Jose Measure T Citizen's Oversight Committee, which oversaw the usage of public bond funds used for fire, transportation, and capital public works improvements.
Lakewood’s current approach to homelessness blends prevention, shelter expansion, and regional collaboration, but there’s room to deepen its impact. Lakewood could consider to strengthen its response through expanding transitional housing. More bridge housing options could help people move from shelter to stability. Lakewood could also consider mobile outreach teams that work to embed mental health professionals and caseworkers in outreach teams to better connect people with services. I believe that a balanced and fair approach toward responding to homelessness starts with a compassionate yet safety-centered outlook that promotes individual self-stability and safe wellbeing.
I envision a City of Lakewood that understands and listens to all of its residents regardless of income, neighborhood location, and economic status. That is why two-way, open and transparent engagement with residents is a huge tenant of my value system as a future council member. With that, I want to see the next chapter of Lakewood's legacy embrace change and transition with openness and commitment to reinvigorating neighborhoods and business corridors that need it the most while sustaining a sense of identity. I want to see a downtown that serves all of its residents through thoughtful planning and mindful of equitable outcomes. Finally I want to see that community spaces, whether its a new community garden or a new community center, provides resources and meets active needs for all residents.
